Ok so basically I might quit my current job soon, and actually my mother just opened my eyes to a potential career option for me: teaching guitar. I've never seriously considered it before, but seeing how much my hate for my current job (at a pizza parlor, if you're wondering) is increasing day by day, I'm now seriously considering the option. I just want to know I'm if ready to teach guitar.

I've been playing for like 10 years, but I'll be honest, I've lost motivation lately and haven't played in close to a year (not because I don't like guitar, but it was mostly depression to be honest). I want to go back to playing so very much, and I'm hoping that by teaching guitar I'll get back the motivation to go back to playing and possibly start taking lessons again myself. My friend teaches at a local music store, and she told me they're looking for someone to teach electric guitar (unfortunately, I've never spent the time to learn classical guitar/fingerpicking, so I can't teach that).

Here's a little list about me and my guitar/music skills:

First of all, I have pretty decent technique.

I have decent knowledge of music theory. I know the basic scales and modes, pentatonics, chords, natural and harmonic minor, and some exotic scales like the half/whole dimished scale (though I never use it much while playing, have only ever heard it played once in a metal song).

I can't read much music. I have the basic knowledge, so I'm able to read a music sheet if I take my time. However, I can read the rhythmic part of it pretty well. I do read tablature however. I've always mostly played by ear, so I never invested too much time in learning sheet music.

I've tried teaching some of my friends, and they've always asked me why I don't teach guitar. I guess the reason was I've never thought I'm a good teacher, but apparently I'm wrong.

Unfortunately, I don't have much experience playing guitar on stage. It's always been either me alone or with some friends. I've only ever done like 4-5 shows with the friend I mentioned above (though if I do get back to playing and practicing everyday, I'm considering starting a band).

I'm currently trying to get into the software engineering field, but so far it hasn't been panning out, and working at the pizza parlor doesn't pay well at all and leaves me with little time for my studies (again, software engineering). So, I thought maybe I could go to that music store I talked about and ask if I can start giving lessons, at least until I get my dream job. I could give only a few lessons a week, and that would be enough money for me for now, and would leave me with plenty of free time for my studies.

What do you think? Am I ready to give electric guitar lessons to beginners?

Nothing crystallises knowledge in your own mind better than teaching it to someone else. Your music reading skills will improve and your communication abilities as you try and find a 23rd different way of explaining something to someone who still doesn't get it will skyrocket. You might learn a few tricks yourself.

I went into guitar tuition eight years ago - I know have 106 students each week during School term time and waiting lists at two of the Schools I work with.

"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger
"I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk

You really won't know until you try. And even if you try and don't do so well in the beginning, it serves as lesson to do better every single time. You are actually in a very fortunate situation. Many do not know what they want to do in the next phase of their life and keep living in the stuckness of their present. But for you who have found out there's something you can do which is to teach guitar here, the principle moving forward is simple. Practice your teaching until its perfect.

It sounds like you have enough expertise to be able to teach. But before actually finding students, I would first try to put together a curriculum. Possibly more than one, targeting students of different skill levels. You want to go into lessons prepared. You'll also obviously have to alter lessons according to student ability/progression.

It's good to have objectives/goals that you set with students. Of course this requires students to actually practice outside of lessons. If they don't do this then it can get frustrating as a teacher, so it's important to be able to handle this as well.

As for getting students, you can try local ads and also just print out some adverts yourself and pin/tape them wherever you can. You might also want to consider investing in a website.